Talassemtane National Park is a national park in the Rif region of northern Morocco. It is part of the Intercontinental Biosphere Reserve of the Mediterranean.

History

The site was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on October 12, 1998, under the "natural" category. The park was established in October 2004 to protect the remaining fir forests in Morocco that are at risk of disappearing.

Geography

The park covers an area of 589.5 kilometers (228 square miles) and has an elevation range of 350 to 1,050 meters (1,150 to 3,440 feet).

The park is near Chefchaouen, a well-known tourist location, and is a popular spot for hiking. Features include the Bridge of God, a natural rock bridge, and the villages of El Kalaá and Akchour.

The park is located in a region of Spain and North Africa with a high level of plant and animal diversity. More than 1,380 plant species have been identified in the area, and 47 of these are found only in Morocco. The only Spanish fir trees in Morocco grow in the center of the park and are protected from harm. Other plants and animals in the park include the endangered Atlas cedar and the Andalusian Belladonna.

The Bearded vulture and more than 100 other bird species have been seen in the park. The park is recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports large numbers of birds, such as Barbary partridges, red-necked nightjars, Levaillant's woodpeckers, subalpine and Sardinian warblers, spotless starlings, Moussier's redstarts, and black-eared and black wheatears. Other animals in the park include Barbary macaques, Greek tortoises, and many-scaled cylindrical skinks.